English
Bengali
Gujarati
Hindi
Kannada
Malayalam
Marathi
Nepali
Punjabi
Sindhi
Tamil
Telugu
Urdu
Sunderban Mela
Sunderban Mela
The Sunderban Mela celebrates the diverse arts and crafts of the Sunderbans, a mangrove area at the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers in the Bay of Bengal. This festival highlights the unique cultural landscape of the region and is dedicated to showcasing the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)-based crafts and performing arts of the Sunderbans. The festival features various folk art forms such as Bhatiyali, Bonbibir Pala, Jhumur, shola work, Chau dance and Baul songs. Bhatiyali, a mystic form of folk music sung by boatmen while sailing down the rivers, has 150 practicing artists in Jogeshganj Block in the Sunderbans. Bonbibir Pala, a mythology-based folk drama, is practised by 18 groups residing in Jameshpur, Bali, Rangabelia and Jameshgunj. Jhumur, introduced by groups of migrants from Chota Nagpur Plateau during the British rule, is currently practiced by 17 groups in different parts of the Sunderbans, especially Jameshpur and Dayapur. The Sunderban Mela brings together such diverse folk artforms as part of the Rural Craft and Cultural Hubs (RCCH) initiative undertaken by the Department of MSME&T, Govt. of West Bengal and UNESCO.
The festival was held between 15 and 16 April at Pakhiralay, Gosaba block in South 24 Paraganas.
Check out more arts and crafts festivals here.
Gallery
How To Get There
How to Reach Sunderbans
1. By Air: Nearest airport is the Netaji Subhash International Airport at Dumdum, Kolkata, which is nearly 112 km away from the Sundarbans. After arriving at Kolkata, one should take either the train or the road to visit the Sunderbans.
2. By Rail: The nearest railway station is Canning. It is nearly 48 km away from the Sundarbans. From Sealdah (Kolkata) there are many local trains to Canning throughout the day. From Canning, one can take the bus to Namkhana, Raidighi, Sonakhali and Najat from where motorboat services are available for the Sunderbans.
3. By Road: From Esplanade (Kolkata) and Howrah, one can get many buses to go to Namkhana (approximately 105 km), Sonakhali (approximately 100 km) Raidhighi (approximately 76 km) Canning (approximately 64 km) and Najat (approximately 92 km). Taxi services are also available from Kolkata. All the above mentioned places are in the Sunderbans region and have easy access to waterways.
Source: Department of Sunderban Affairs, Govt. of West Bengal
Facilities
- Family-friendly
Items & Accessories To Carry
1. Light and airy cotton clothes; Sunderbans is typically very hot in April.
2. A sturdy water bottle, if the festival has refillable water stations, and if the venue allows bottles to be taken inside.
3. Comfortable footwear such as sneakers (a perfect option if it’s not likely to rain).
4. COVID packs: Hand sanitiser, extra masks and a copy of your vaccination certificate are things you should keep handy.
About Banglanatak dot com
Banglanatak dot com
Founded in 2000, banglanatak dot com is a social enterprise specialising in culture and…
Contact Details
Kolkata 700045
West Bengal
Disclaimer
- Festivals From India is not associated with ticketing, merchandising and refund matters of any Festival organised by Festival Organisers. Festivals From India shall not be responsible for any conflict between a User and Festival Organiser in matters related to ticketing, merchandising and refund matters of any Festival.
- The date / timings / artist line-up of any Festival may change as per the Festival Organiser’s discretion and Festivals From India has no control over such changes.
- For the registration of a Festival, the Users will be redirected to the website of such Festival or to any third party website under the discretion / arrangement of Festival Organisers. Once a User has completed their registration for a Festival, they will receive their registration confirmation by email from the Festival Organisers or the third party websites where the event registration is hosted. Users are advised to enter their valid email correctly on the registration form. Users may also check their junk / spam email box in case any of their Festival email(s) are caught by spam filters.
- Events are marked COVID safe based on self-declarations made by the festival organiser regarding compliance with government/local authority COVID-19 protocols. Festivals From India shall have no liability as to the actual compliance with COVID-19 protocols.
Additional Terms for Digital Festivals
- Users may face interruptions during the course of the live stream due to internet connectivity issues. Neither Festivals From India nor the Festival Organiser is responsible for such interruptions.
- The Digital Festival / Event may have interactive elements and will involve participation from the Users.
Share on